Dubuque Senior High School returned from the 2022 Iowa Thespian Festival with a number of student award and the induction of a staff member into the Iowa Thespian Hall of Fame.
Aaron Dean, an English teacher and theatre director at Dubuque Senior High School, was inducted to the Iowa Thespian Hall of Fame as recognition for demonstrated dedication to the Thespians of Iowa, promotion of theatre arts and arts education, and years of service to students at their respective schools.
Dubuque Senior graduate Brady Booth spoke of the induction ceremony of Dean’s dedication to students and the state organization. Dean joins two former Dubuque Senior Hall of Fame members, Sybil Lamb (inducted in 1996) and Fran Hedeman (inducted in 1997).
For students, the International Thespian Excellence Awards (or Thespys® for short) recognize the highest level of achievement in school theatre performance, technical theatre, writing, and filmmaking.
This educational program celebrates the work of theatre students, giving them the opportunity to receive constructive feedback on prepared theatrical material, technical design, plays, and short films, and recognizing their achievements on local, regional, and international stages.
The following Dubuque Senior students earned honors at the 2022 Iowa Thespian Festival, based on adjudication from theatre professionals from around the country. They also qualified to move on to the national competition.
First Place in Duet Acting
Scout Kuehn and Lucia Kuehn
“Miss Kentucky”
First Place in Group Acting
Lucia Kuehn, Scout Kuehn, Soren Obermueller, Aidan Seville, and Emma Ward
“Over the River and Through the Woods”
First Place in Musical Theatre Dance (Solo)
Alex Dixon
“Run and Tell That”
First Place in Group Musical Theatre
Conner Frederick, Evelyn Maddux, and Anna O’Connor
“The I Love You Song”
Second Place in Monologues
Evelyn Maddux
“I Used to Write on Walls / Rabbit Hole”
Second Place in Group Musical Theatre
Riley Beck, Ami Bellings, and Soren Obermueller
“Louder Than Words”
Second Place in Group Acting
Natalee Killian, Ella Meyer, Paige Putnam, Madeline Rupp, and Bella Vanden Berge
“Five Women Wearing the Same Dress”
